Brassieres



Feb. 25, 1964 B. B. M SHEA BRASSIERES Filed Aug. 15, 1962 BEATRIX B.MCSH EA Q- United States Patent 3,122,143 BRASSIERES Beatrix B. McShea,8401 16th St., Silver Spring, Md. Filed Aug. 15, B62, Ser. N0. 217,107 4Claims. (Cl. 128482) This invention relates to improvements inbrassieres and more particularly to an improved brassiere for wear bywomen having medium to large-size busts.

As is Well known to women falling in this category, a major objection topresent-day brassiere construction is in its inability to provide bustuplift over sustained periods of wear, due to the fact that the rearband or back portion of the brassiere tends to ride up the back and inso doing allows the front portion to lower and thereby not only lessenif not actually lose its bust-supporting and molding function but alsoto become uncomfortable in wear. Moreover, when this occurs, a sometimesembarrassing readjustment of the brassiere on the body is usuallyrequired.

Stated broadly, an important object of this invention is the provisionof a brassiere especially designed for wear by women having medium tolarge-size busts which overcomes the objection to conventionalbrassieres as mentioned above to a substantial degree and which at thesame time is comfortable to wear.

A more particular object of the invention is the provision of abrassiere construction for wear by women having medium to large-sizebusts but otherwise having the normal female figure, which incorporatesmeans effective to hold the rear-band or back portion thereof down inplace on the body over sustained periods of wear, thereby insuring thatits front portion will perform its bust uplifting and supportingfunction as intended, and which at the same time is comfortable to wear.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a. brassiereincorporating a stretchable body-encircling structure and breast-cupportions as is usual, but which is characterized by said cup portionsbeing unsecured along their lower edges to the body-encircling bandstructure whereby they perform their bust-contouring and supportingfunctions independently of any connection to or with the frontal portionof said body-encircling structure,

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a brassiereespecially designed for wear by women having medium to large-size busts,which is characterized by its ability to provide bust uplift through theincorporation of means for causing the rear band or back portion to staydown in place on the body and which further is of front-openingconstructure whereby it may be put on and taken off with ease andfacility.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of a brassiereaccording to the present invention will appear from the followingdetailed description thereof, taken with the accompanying illustrativedrawings, where- FIG. 1 is a front elevation, FIG. 2 is a fragmentaryrear elevation, and FIG. 3 is a side view elevation of the improvedbrassiere of the invention appearing as when worn; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating the frontopening and closingconstruction of the brassiere shown in the previous views.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a brassiere according to theinvention which is illustratively shown therein generally comprisesright and left breast cups 10, 12 defined by non-elastic edges a, 12aand dome-shaped portions 10b, 12b of net, lace or other suitable softfabric; a body-encircling structure broadly designated 14 and comprisinga preferably continuous back portion 16 whose forward ends merge intoside-panel portions 18a, 18b, and elastic front bands 20a, 20b extendingforward- 3,122,143 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 ly towards one another andwhose free ends are adapted to be detachably secured together along thefront vertical center line of the wearer; and shoulder straps 22a, 22bextending front and rear between said breast cups and said back portion16. Both the breast cups 10, 12 and the elastic front bands 20a, 2% aresecured along their outer or relatively rearward, approximately verticaledges to the forward side edges of the side-panel portions 18a, 18b byseams designated 24a, 24b (which, as best seen in FIG. 3, constitute thegarment side seams) and 26a, 266, respectively. However, it is a featureof the invention that the lower edges of the breast cups are un secured,being thus free and clear of the elastic front bands 29a, 20b, and alsothat the seams 26a, 26b between the elastic front bands and theside-panel portions, although extending generally in continuation of theseams 24a, 24b along which the breast cups are secured to the side-panelportions, are inclined by an obtuse angle to said seams 24a, 24b, andalso by a small angle to the vertical, with the result that said frontbands incline upwardly-forwardly towards one another to thesubstantially vertical line of connection between their free ends, as isbest seen in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 4, the aforesaid breast cups 10, 12 are adapted to besecured to one another along their adjacent front-side edges by suitablequick-detachable fas teners, illustratively complemental pairs of hooks28a and companion eyes 2812. Similarly, the elastic front bands 26a, 29bare adapted to be secured to one another at their free ends by similarquick-detachable fastening means, illustratively hooks Sila. andcompanion eyes 36b.

When fashioned to proper size for and worn by a woman having a medium tolarge-size bust and otherwise normal figure and waistline, a brassiereaccording to the invention achieves sustained bust uplift by thecombined action of its unique front-band construction and the fea tureof the breast cups being free and clear of said front bands. Theexplanation of this desirable result is that the brassiere of theinvention is designed to make use of the natural taper of the rib cageof the female body to effect anchoring of its back portion 16 in arelatively low position on the back (in which it extends across and isheld to the small-width or narrow portion thereof) by the yieldingpressure exerted in slightly upward direction on both ends of said backportion by the elastic front bands 20a, 2%. That is to say, the elasticfront bands not only snug themselves to the body immediately underneaththe breasts contained in and supported in the breast cups 10, 12, butalso cause the back portion 16 to be snugged to the back of the wearer,at a low position thereon, with a force that holds said back portionfirmly in place. Moreover, since the breast cups 10, 12 are unsecuredalong their bottom edges and are thus free and clear of said elasticfront bands 26a, 20b, the shoulder straps 22a, 22b and back portion 16are called upon only to support the weight of the breasts carried bysaid breast cups. Accordingly, said back portion 16 is completelyunaffected by any tendency of the front lower portion of the brassiereto ride down the breast bone or even the upper stomach area as theresult of body movements which, acting through the lower portion of theconventional brassiere, tend to exert a downward pull on the breast cupsand thereby an upward pull on the back band. Rather, at the risk ofrepetition, the upwardly inclined elastic front bands 29a, Ztlb of thebrassiere according to the invention act exclusively to hold the backportion 16 firmly yet comfortably snugged to the lower portion of theback having relatively small girth. At this point it is to be noted thatsince the shoulder straps 22a, 22b are adjustable in length, said backportion may readily be lowered to a position best suited to the purposesof the invention and the comfort of the wearer.

At the same time, a brassiere according to the inven tion is verycomfortable in wear as compared to conven tional brassieres, because ofthe vertical separation of breast cups 10, 12 from the frontal portionof the bodyencircling structure 14. The uplift effect achieved by breastcups which are unsecured along their lower edges as aforesaid is furtheradvantageous in assisting in the natural separation of the breastsrather than causing the breasts to bunch together as is true of mostbrassieres of conventional construction and design, such being a featurewhich not only adds to the comfort of the wearer but also improves thebust line and general appearance of said wearer. Incidentally, should itbe desirable for the individual wearers preference, the back portion 16may be made wholly or partly of elastic material having transverse (ofthe body) one-way stretch properties similar to those of the front bands20a, 20b. It will also be understood that the upper edges of the rearportion 16 and side panel portions 18a, 18b of the brassiere may bevaried from that shown, thus to suit a particular decollet in vogue.

Without further analysis, it will be readily seen by those skilled inthe particular art that a brassiere constructed in accordance with theunderlying principles of the present invention achieves the objectivestherefor which have been set out in the foregoing; that is to say, itsatisfies the need of Women having-from medium to large-size busts for abrassiere that will provide sustained rather than only temporary bustuplift and thus save women falling in this category from theembarrassment of having to continually readjust the position of thebrassiere on the body. A brassiere according to the invention is alsorelatively inexpensive in manufacture and is highly comfortable in wear.Furthermore, the brassiere of the invention is wholly compatible withpresent-day womens garment design principles which recognize the fact ofthe large-size bust and seek to make provision therefor both in properuplift and in the wearers comfort.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructionswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a brassiere, a body-encircling structure including a continuousback portion, opposite side portions and front bands secured at theiropposite ends to said side portions in manner such that they extendforwardly towards one another and at an upward inclination, and

said front bands further having length such that they meet at their freeends, and said free ends carrying complemental means for detachablysecuring said ends to gether, a pair of breast cups also secured alongtheir 01:- posite side edges to said side portions and extendingforwardly towards one another and meeting along their adjacent freeedges md said free edges carrying complemental means for detachablysecuring the breast cups together in connected breast-supportingrelation, said breast cups being disposed generally above said frontbands but being unsecured along their lower edges whereby they mayfunction independently of said front bands, and shoulder strapsextending between and connecting the upper edges of the breast cups andthe continuous back portion.

2. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein said breast cups and saidfront bands are detachably secured at spaced points on the frontvertical center line of said brassiere.

3. A brassiere according to claim 1, wherein said front bands arefashioned from elastic material which is stretchable in longitudinaldirection.

4. In a brassiere, a body-encircling structure including a back portionand front band portions which extend towards one another and areprovided at their free ends with means for securing said structure inbody-encircling relationship, at least the front band portions of saidstructure being fashioned from elastic material which is stretchable inlongitudinal direction, a pair of breast cups connected at theiropposite side edges to said back portion and along lines of connectionwhich extend substantially vertically through the side portions of saidbody-encircling structure, said breast cups extending forwardly towardsone another and meeting along their adjacent free edges and said edgescarrying complemental means for detachably securing the breast cupstogether in connected breast-supporting relation, shoulder strapsextending between and connecting the upper edges of the breast cups andthe back portion of the body-encircling structure, said breast cupsbeing disposed generally above said frontband portions of thebody-encircling structure but being unsecured along their lower edges soas to be capable of functioning independently of said front-bandportions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I1,575,989 Haven Mar. 9, 1926 2,721,324 Graf Oct. 25, 1955 2,882,906Steinmetz ..7..... Apr. 21, 1959

1. IN A BRASSIERE, A BODY-ENCIRCLING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A CONTINUOUSBACK PORTION, OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS AND FRONT BANDS SECURED AT THEIROPPOSITE ENDS TO SAID SIDE PORTIONS IN MANNER SUCH THAT THEY EXTENDFORWARDLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND AT AN UPWARD INCLINATION, AND SAIDFRONT BANDS FURTHER HAVING LENGTH SUCH THAT THEY MEET AT THEIR FREEENDS, AND SAID FREE ENDS CARRYING COMPLEMENTAL MEANS FOR DETACHABLYSECURING SAID ENDS TOGETHER, A PAIR OF BREAST CUPS ALSO SECURED ALONGTHEIR OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES TO SAID SIDE PORTIONS AND EXTENDING FORWARDLYTOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND MEETING ALONG THEIR ADJACENT FREE EDGES AND SAIDFREE EDGES CARRYING COMPLEMENTAL MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING THEBREAST CUPS TOGETHER IN CONNECTED BREAST-SUPPORTING RELATION, SAIDBREAST CUPS BEING DISPOSED GENERALLY ABOVE SAID FRONT BANDS BUT BEINGUNSECURED ALONG THEIR LOWER EDGES WHEREBY THEY MAY FUNCTIONINDEPENDENTLY OF SAID FRONT BANDS, AND SHOULDER STRAPS EXTENDING BETWEENAND CONNECTING THE UPPER EDGES OF THE BREAST CUPS AND THE CONTINUOUSBACK PORTION.